Okay, Rebecca is almost six months old now, and I'm going to start giving her rice cereal this weekend for the first time! Until now, she's only had formula. How do you do it? How much formula do you mix with how much rice cereal? How much do you give the first time? How does this work???????? Help!!!! Very nervous about all of this!
phyl
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
dont be nervous!... pour a little less than 1.4 cup of sereal into a dish...take the breast milk or formula..and pour a little at a time into the cereal and mix.
you dont want any lumps...and since it is the first cereal baby is having, you want it to be a bit on the watery side.
be prepared that baby may not take all the serving you have mixed.. baby may automatically spit it out..as this is a natural reflex...just try a spoonful at a time, ..keep smiling through the whole 'meal' so they can see that this is ENJOYABLE....
keep trying every day..a little at a time and gradually increase the amount you offer
Julianne skipped all of this and ate the whole serving the first time I fed her..so just be prepared for anything
HTH!!
michele31
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
Phyls- you mean 1/4 cup right? not 1.4 cups?
LaurenReb
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
And then when you give her the quarter cup of cereal, and if she eats it, do you still give her the bottle, and if so, how much?
michele31
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
From what I understand the cereal should not replace her bottle at this stage. Her main source of food should still be formula or bm. Take photos Can I ask you why you waited so long to start cereal? The reason I ask is because I am thinking of delaying cereal until Molly is 5-6 months old and some people say to start cereal at 3-4months. Just wanted your opinion.
LaurenReb
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
I was going to start sooner, but Rebecca was sick, so I didn't want to start it yet. But, now, I'm reading all of these articles that say that you should start rice cereal between 4-6 months - no earlier, and no later, or you will increase the risk of your baby developing diabetes later on in life.
Here's the link to one of the many articles I've read on this topic....
So, now I'm panicking to start cereal immediately, BEFORE she turns six months!!!
Lee
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
What Phyl said is exactly right...I only gave Ryan a couple of tablespoons to start with and the first few times he didn't love it...but once he got used to it and we started thickening it up he loved it!
Definitely make it watery to start and definitely take pictures!! Make it fun!!
LaurenReb
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
I'm definitely going to take pictures, and VIDEO!!! I will post them when I get them developed! Thanks for all of your help.
KathyKelly
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
I just started Emily on cereal (4 months) and I started her off with 1 tbsp of rice than added enough formula to make it kinda soupy but not too bad - especially if this is her first time you want it just slightly thicker than what she is used to. Start off once a day and see how she does.. My dr suggested a new food every 3 days... Rice 3days, Barley 3 days, Oatmeal 3 days. and then you can up her to 2x a day and then 3x a day depending on how she takes to it. Just be prepared that she will hate it at first, but keep trying, she will eventually come around.. Good luck and have fun!!
oh and put a big bib on her - Emily is very messy and drips alot out of her mouth :) !!!
phyl
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Re: Help! Starting rice cereal... how do you do it?
yes I meant 1/4 cup....and it does not replace a bottle meal....
FOr Julianne...the rice cereal wound up being too constipating. She went on Oatmeal a little while later and has been on that since then...
